30 Royal Colonial Institute. 



Chamber of Commerce), Edward Manville, Esq. (Chairman, Society of Motor Manu- 

 facturers and Traders), Colonel John Denny, Major Archer-Shee, D.S.O., M.P., Lord 

 Merthyr, K.C.V.O., R. K. Morcom, Esq., G. McL. Brown, Esq., F. C. Salter, Esq., 

 Ellis T. Powell, Esq., LL.B.,B.Sc. 



The objects of the committee are : — 



(1) To facilitate, encourage and arrange industrial conferences or meetings to be 

 attended by men of affairs from any or all parts of the Empire, in order to discuss 

 questions of common interest with a view to regulating and co-ordinating the conditions 

 of Empire trade and industry. 



(2) To encourage and facilitate Empire trade and industry, e.g. by arranging for 

 the reading of Papers and delivery of Addresses on financial, industrial, and trade 

 subjects by authorities before the Institute itself and before Chambers of Commerce, 

 trade bodies, and like institutions in the leading industrial centres. 



The work of the committee has received the support and co-operation of the 

 Governments of the various Overseas Possessions, who have undertaken to supply to the 

 Institute their reports and other documents affecting Empire trade and industry. 



The following subjects have already engaged the attention of the committee, and 

 formal resolutions have been forwarded to the President of the Board of Trade and 

 the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and otherwise dealt with : — 



1. Uniformity of Company Law within the Empire. 



2. The work of the British Consular Service in regard to Empire trade. 



3. The establishment of through bookings of goods by se ^ and land from one part 



of the Empire to another. 



4. The issue of popular handbooks setting forth the resources and trade conditions , 



of the Crown Colonies and dependencies. 



5. The necessity of taking some definite action to develop the resources of and 



British trade with India and the Crown Colonies and dependencies by the 

 appointment of Trade Commissioners as has recently been done in the case 

 of the self-governing dominions. 



The representations which the committee have made in connection with some of 

 the foregoing matters have already met with a measure of success. 



The broadening of the work of the Institute generally, of which the watching over 

 the interests of the mercantile, manufacturing, engineering, and shipping interests is an 

 essential feature, will no doubt prove of service in strengthening and cementing trade 

 relations and thereby promoting the unity of the Empire. 



XV.— ANNUAL DINNER AND CONVERSAZIONE. 



The annual dinner is held, as a rule, during the month of May, and is presided over 

 by either the President or one of the Vice-Presidents of the Institute. The Chairmen 

 of the last few years include H.R.H. the Prince of Wales (afterwards H.M. King 

 Edward VII), H.R.H. the Prince of Wales (now H.M. King George V); Field- 



